Easy Beef Kreplach (Purim Dumplings)

Kreplach are a popular staple of Eastern European Jewish cuisine. These triangular, meat-filled dumplings are enjoyed on holidays like Purim and around Yom Kippur, or really whenever cravings strike.

My favorite kreplach are filled with a simple mixture of beef and browned onions, so I used this one. Traditional versions are made with braised beef, but we use quick-cooking ground beef for this version. I also take the shortcut of using store-bought won tan wrappers instead of making a batter from scratch. Dead easy! The whole recipe takes about an hour to put together, so it’s pretty weekday friendly when you’re in the mood to fold some dumplings for dinner.

Kreplach is also often on the menu at Jewish delicatessens. They’re usually listed as an optional add-in to a bowl of chicken noodle soup — you can often order a bowl that includes kreplach, noodles, and a matzo ball or two. Talk about a comforting carb feast! Kreplach can also be served without broth – pan fried until browned and crispy, then served with sour cream and/or caramelized onions.

Purim traditions with family and friends

Purim is one of the funnier and sillier Jewish holidays (some might say the funniest) that’s enjoyed by kids and adults alike. We tell and read the story of how Queen Esther saved the Jews megillah loud and makes a lot of obnoxious noise every time the villain is called Haman. We eat triangular cookies called Hamantaschen, which translates to “Haman’s hats,” and deliver Mixed biter Manotor Purim baskets, biscuits and treats to friends and neighbors.

There’s also a holiday costume/disguise element to make things even funnier. In my Jewish preschool we had a Purim parade where all the children dressed up either as characters from the story of Esther or in whatever costume they chose.

As an adult, one of my favorite Purim traditions is the Purim “game.” In my synagogue, the rabbi wrote a different play every year, interspersed with musical numbers and lots of lewd humor. Drinking wine was encouraged, and children were not allowed to be present. As it turns out, the tradition is to drink Purim until you’re tipsy enough to enjoy the merriment all the more.

In addition to the cookies, costumes, and silly plays, Purim has a traditional meal. This is an element of the holiday that was unfamiliar to me until recently, doing a little research and asking a few Jewish friends, both American and Israeli, about their Purim traditions.

The Purim Seudah is to be enjoyed in daylight, and at least two dishes (better but more) should be served alongside all the celebratory wine. A beef dish is often served, as it is considered more festive than chicken. Sometimes that Seudah will be vegetarian, emphasizing seeds and grains, in honor of Esther’s being a vegetarian while she lived at the palace. She probably should have done this to remain kosher.

Make Kreplach with a few shortcuts

With this kreplach recipe, I’m giving you my simplest and easiest way to make them with a few shortcuts. Traditionally, beef-stuffed kreplach are made from already-cooked pot roast or brisket, which is then chopped and mixed with caramelized onions.

This is where the filling begins with some of those delicious, browned onions that caramelize in just 15 minutes as they’re diced very small and cooked in small batches. The onions are mixed with lean ground beef for a quick and easy filling. If you want to go the vegetarian route, simply replace the ground beef with plant-based “Beef” grinds (Beyond Beef and Impossible are two brands I like).

Making a traditional kreplach dough, like the traditional filling, is another time-consuming and labor-intensive step. Rather than making the batter from scratch, we use store-bought won tan wraps. These dumplings are thin and tender and only take a few minutes to cook through. You should serve them immediately as they tend to break apart if left in their broth for too long.

Oh, and as for the broth, you can of course use the homemade stuff if you have it on hand, but store-bought will do just fine too.

Fold Kreplach with ease

The most time-consuming part of this recipe is folding the kreplachs, but I use the easiest and quickest method I know: Fold the wonton squares diagonally to form triangles. Some triangular kreplach are folded more elaborately, but this recipe only requires one fold.

Round wrappers (usually called potsticker wrappers) also work, although the dumplings end up crescent-shaped rather than purim-ready triangles. Either way, almost anyone can help you with this task, including/especially children, and lots of hands will lighten the load.

Prepare crispy fried kreplach with a hot air fryer

When I want to make crispy fried kreplach, I actually use my air fryer. Timing and temperature recommendations may vary depending on the make and model of your air fryer, but as a general recommendation, lightly brush the kreplach with olive oil and then place them in the basket in a single layer at 375°F for 4-5 minutes and should crisp up fried dumplings

If you cook them this way, double the caramelized onions so you have enough to garnish your kreplach when it comes out of the air fryer.

Kreplach changes and substitutions

Ingredients can be interchanged and substituted, including the following:

• Potsticker wrapper for wantan wrapper
• Ground turkey or chicken or plant-based “ground” instead of ground beef
• Vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
• Chives and/or spring onions instead of parsley and/or dill
• Spices – a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, ras el hanout, berbere, garam masala, or curry powder added to the filling would add a spicy touch

Make kreplach a day in advance

You can prepare the kreplach yourself a day in advance and store it in the fridge before cooking it in broth. Simply place the dumplings in a single layer on a sheet pan or in a large lidded container as you fold them, placing a sheet of plastic wrap between the layers of dumplings to keep them from sticking together.

I wouldn’t try to keep the kreplach in the broth after making it—the tender won-tan skins quickly become mushy and break apart in the broth.

More recipes to celebrate Purim

• Apricot Hamantaschen
• Instant Pot Beef Brisket
• Easy Red Wine Sangria
• Mixed berry sangria